Night on the Town
by Phantom105
Summary: Ulquiorra and Orihime are living together, and Orihime's friends invite both of them to a formal dinner in the city.  Ulquiorra is forced to play the part of a chivalrous man, how will he hold up to this contrast in character? Lime
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys! :D Welcome to my next story ^^ Please, make yourself at home, coffee to the right, snacks to the left. So this is a little idea i came up with while i was laying in bed sunday morning. Its sorta an experiement, but ill try to make it as appealing as i can. For clarification purposes, i must tell you now that in the story, Ulquiorra DOES NOT have a hollow hole, tear marks, or his mask. If you wish to think he is in a gigai, go for it. That fact is pretty irrelevent to the story, so whatever floats your boat is fine with me ^^ This story does not contain lemon, it may get a bit limey though ;)

Disclaimer: of course i dont own bleach, if i did i would not be writing a fanfiction about ulquihime, it would be what the show is about! :D

* * *

He was sitting on the sofa of the woman's apartment watching television. There was nothing particularly interesting on to him, unless he fancied watching afternoon soap operas. No thank you. The afternoon sun was flowing in through the open curtains. It was a beautiful summer day outside, but inside he preferred it much cooler. Ulquiorra had the air conditioning turned way up. It was the only sound that was left in the small area after he spared himself the torture of afternoon television.

It had been only a month since Ulquiorra had come back from the dead in Hueco Mundo. Truly, he had not been dead since Ichigo had refused to end his life, but he was glad he didn't. It was when he was staring death in the face that he realized that what he had wanted was standing right in front of his face. How he wanted so badly to change the events of the past, it pained him to even remember that day. To see the pain on her face, the tears roll down her cheeks, he never wanted to see that again. After he turned to ashes, and felt his body slowly lose all feeling, everything was black. He was in an empty space, an infinite vacuum with nothing but blackness. He couldn't open his eyes, couldn't hear or smell or taste anything. It was all just that…nothing.

Over the next couple months, his body did indeed regenerate itself, just as he knew it would. However the process was very painful. Piece by piece each ash would reconnect itself to his body, and the nerves connecting under his skin would reawaken. They would fire off seemingly endless waves of agony from his previous injuries. How he was able to cope with this for the time being, he was not exactly sure. But he did know that the whole time his mind could only see her face in it. It was as if she was there; the images were so vivid. How Ulquiorra wished she had been.

* * *

One night, he found himself able to feel something under his body. _I can feel? _Slowly, Ulquiorra realized he could open his eyes. _Finally…_ he thought with a sigh. He could feel the grass under his face against his cheek, and what a wonderful feeling it was. To be able to feel something other than that endless pain and the awful longing and guilt; it was spectacular. Ulquiorra could see trees all around him. Somehow, he had been dropped out of the vacuum and into a forest He had no idea where he was exactly, though.

Night was in its reign at the time, but anything was better than what he had previously been through. Flexing his furry arms, hands, legs, and feet, feeling returned to him in his second release state. Everything on his body seemed to be in working order. Ulquiorra tried to push himself up with his arms, only to fall back down to the ground with a groan. He was very weak, but he needed to get up. Not only would it be very unfortunate for someone to spot him here, but what if a soul reaper found him? He needed to get up and find her, no matter what the cost. With as much strength as he could muster, he got to his knees, and using a nearby tree for support, made it to his feet. Taking shaky steps forward, he locked onto the woman's spiritual energy, and began the journey to her.

* * *

The energy got stronger and stronger in his mind, and when he walked up to the door of an apartment in the middle of town, he was positive it was hers. Knocking on the door, he waited until she opened it slowly. The first glimpse of her he got, he could no longer feel any pain or weakness. She gasped at the sight of him, her hands covering her mouth. He searched her eyes, but found no fear in them. No, this emotion was more like…relief? "Onna," he breathed out softly, before she jumped at him and hugged him tight. His arms quickly wrapped around her; there was no way he was letting her go again. Her face buried itself in the crook of his neck, her tears tracing down him. Every pain, every time he had wished to see something in that space filled with inky blackness, was now entirely worth it. It was as if the reader of a story had turned the page to a fresh chapter. The old chapter of his life was gone, and it was much better that way.

Their relationship in Hueco Mundo was anything but what Aizen would have approved of. What they felt for each other was a very well kept secret. There were many times when they would find themselves in positions that would have been quite embarrassing if anyone would have walked in on them. Ulquiorra would also sleep in her room, many times with her to keep her content. Although it would be a utter lie if he neglected to say he didn't want to. It hurt him every time they were called to a meeting, and he was forced to distance himself from her. He was forced to pretend that he was just her captor, and she was just a prisoner. Aizen would want to talk to her in private, and tell Ulquiorra to wait outside the door. He could see the fear in Orihime's eyes, and could sense the jealousy and anger rising in his own as she would go behind the door. He would find himself pacing back and forth outside the door waiting for her to emerge. When she would come out, he would discreetly check her over to make sure no harm had come to her. Once they had returned to her room, any activity that had been interrupted soon continued and their little act was dropped completely.

"I can't believe it's really you," she cried into his neck. She pulled her grip tighter, forcing his head to come down to her level, "I thought I would never see you again."

"I would never abandon you, Onna," he said lowly. She smiled warmly at him, placing a kiss on his lips. He willingly kissed her back, pulling her body closer to his. The same electricity he remembered every time she would kiss him was still there. Any doubt of her not taking him back was completely gone, although he had never really expected her to do that. He knew she was much more kind-hearted than that. If she could find it in herself to love him, even after all the terrible things he had done to her, then he was truly blessed to have her.

"Come inside, its warm in here," she said, pulling on his arms to enter. He did without objection, following her as she lead him back to her room where she had been sleeping before he had interrupted her. Her room was indeed warm, and very homey feeling. He watched as she got into her bed, but he himself hesitated. Somehow he didn't feel as though he should just invite himself into her bed with her.

"Get in here I want to talk to you," she said patting the bed, and that was the invitation he had been waiting for. Ulquiorra climbed into the bed and pulled her into his arms capturing her lips in his and…

"Ulquiorra!" he heard a voice call his name. His eyes flew open at the urgency of the call, only to see the woman bending down over him looking down into his green eyes. He had fallen asleep on the sofa, reminiscing in the past. It was not something he commonly did, he most often chose to forget his past, but for some reason his mind favored entertaining him with it this time. He took a deep breath in, calming down from his startled awakening.

"I called your name a couple times and you didn't answer, that must have been quite some dream you were having," she said, giggling at the end. Wait…that last part of her sentence…she was looking at him funny. He stretched his arms and legs, letting out a yawn and shrugging off the look she had given him. At least he hoped he hadn't made any sounds out loud…she would know for sure what he had been dreaming of then.

Ulquiorra turned on his side to watch the Onna set her items down on the coffee table in front of him. She had a tuxedo and a very formal dress, a pair of men's and women's dress shoes. She also carried an invitation that he had seen before. "It was nothing," he responded, preferring not to explain what he had been indeed dreaming. Somehow, he didn't think she would appreciate it.

"I picked up the clothes for the party tonight," she said smiling at him, trying to change the subject to a safer one. Ah yes, the party. A couple days back, her nakama had invited the both of them to dinner at a rather expensive formal restaurant in the downtown area. The whole place was run on upper class chivalrous etiquette. He figured it would be a nice change from the normal hustle and bustle of life in the city. But, there was a problem with this all…

He didn't know any human etiquette.

He was told not to worry though by the Onna, for she had assured him that she would teach him everything before they left.

The limo was due to come pick them up in a couple hours and drop them off at the restaurant, where they would meet up with the Onna's nakama. He was not exactly 'friends' with them, but each would tolerate the other's presence. If it made Orihime happy to go to this dinner, he would not only do it, but would be on his best behavior.

He watched as she walked around the apartment, seemingly aimless to him, yet she was accomplishing tasks he guessed. He sat up, looking at the tuxedo that laid on the coffee table in front of him. It had a black overcoat and black pants, with a white shirt under it and a black neck tie. Next to it on the floor laid shiny black dress shoes to match. How he was going to pull this off, he didn't know. He was much more used to wearing white, such a change in color may be hard, he had thought.

"Ulquiorra," Orihime called to him. His eyes diverted from the tux onto her as she grabbed the dress and shoes for herself from the coffee table, "go get dressed, after I will teach you all you need to know for tonight." As he watched her run back to her bathroom, all giddy with excitement, he sighed and took the tuxedo and shoes into his arms. He walked back to her room and closed the door, and began changing.

* * *

Ulquiorra emerged from the bedroom, clad in the tux that was picked up for him. His hair was combed as nicely as he could get it to stay…it could be so unruly at times. He looked like he as ready to attend the Congressional Dinner at the White House. The black matched his hair perfectly, and made him look very 'handsome', as he had heard Orihime use before. The neck tie laid untied around his neck as he walked out to see Orihime sitting on the sofa. She was dressed in a beautiful white, long strapless dress. It was covered in silver gem stones and lace hung from all sides of it. Her sandals matched the whiteness of her dress, also carrying gem stones on them. Her stunning orange hair stood out against the white beautifully. It was straight, and hung over her shoulders. It took all his focus just to not trip on his own feet as he walked out. He could feel her eyes scan over his entire body, and suddenly his pants felt a size too tight. He hoped she wouldn't notice…

"You look very nice, and you were the one saying you couldn't pull off black?" she said to him. He wandered over to the sofa and sat down next to her. He immediately leaned forward and kissed her lips lovingly.

"I suppose it is not as hard as I had thought before," he told her, "but I do not come anywhere near as beautiful as you are." Ulquiorra watched as his comment turned her cheeks a light shade of pink as she smiled at him. Well, he had done THAT right at least. Her hands made their way to the tie around his neck, and began to slowly tie it. Oh yes, he was aware of what was happening, he wasn't blind. She was so obviously teasing him, and it was working. He sighed softly, and she smiled, making a mocking expression at him.

"You are so horny, do you know that?" she laughed at him, tucking the tie back in when she was finished.

"I will not deny this, but you cannot blame me," he retorted back. He said it sarcastically, but it couldn't have been closer to the truth…

* * *

So what do you think? Stupid idea? Should be dropped right now before i waste more time on it? The dinner scene in chapter 2 will be highly based on Titanic (because i can) and i think it will be quite funny ^^

Cheers


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! :D Here is the second chapter of "Night on the Town". Few things about this chapter, it switches back and forth between present time, and when Orihime was teaching him his lessons ;) Italics are past, normal text is present ^^ I made it so it will be easy to figure out when its past tense and present, so it should be obvious. Once again we're assuming that Ulquiorra doesnt have his hollow hole, or his mask, or the tear streaks on his face. However, later on in the story you'll find out that he still has his 4 tattoo, because i think it looks hawt ;) Ik his real height is only about 5 feet 6 inches, but for my own purposes I described him as a bit taller. And about how i said it would be based off Titanic? Well, the whole atmosphere of the place, as well as how the people act is based off that (ik some ppl were a bit confused about that). No, they aren't on a boat and its not gonna sink.

Song listened to that has absolutely nothing to do with the story: Ain't Talkin Bout Love - Van Halen

I dont own Bleach, or Titanic obviously.

* * *

The lighting outside the windows of the limo because illuminated. A tall building rested outside the car as the driver entered a covered entrance to the restaurant. Massive pillars held the overhang up. Warm lights lit up the driveway. The walkway into the building was led by a red carpet, stopping at the doors. Lamps below the ground lined the way. The area they were in was very wealthy, and he somewhat felt out of place. He knew he was anything BUT royalty. Yet, Orihime wanted him to play this part, and so he would do just that. He was dedicated to her completely. There was very little, if anything at all he wouldn't do for her. All she had to do was say the words, which was both beautiful and disastrous at the same time. He was her protector, whether she liked it or not.

"Remember the things I told you?" she asked as the car came to a stop. Ulquiorra lowered his head to stare at the black leather seats of the car's interior, sitting perfectly still, save for his magnificent eyes blinking every once in a while. She could tell he was deep in thought. Over the time they had spent together, Orihime had learned the expression that always crawled onto his face when he was thinking.

_"First things first, we will be traveling in a limo, which is just a very long car, it's not hard to figure out," she said as he sat watching her on the sofa. She was standing in front of him a good 5 feet away walking back and forth, animatedly telling explaining all this to him, "the driver will get up and let you out of the car, don't get out yourself." He was not allowed to open the door for himself? What if the driver forgot about him? His brows furrowed, but he nodded in agreement with her anyway. "You will get out first and then wait for me. You have to stand up, and hold your hand out for me to take it," she showed him by taking his hand and placing her own in it. _

_"Are you not capable of getting out yourself? Honestly I don't know if I would be able to get out either if I was wearing shoes that added inches to my height," he asked curiously. Honestly, he was only on the second rule and he was already questioning this! But really, how were women able to walk in those types of shoes? Perhaps he'd never know. _

_After all, he didn't make a good woman._

_She giggled at his drawled out response. "No, that is just the way it works, that is the formal etiquette we're going into," she explained. _

Ulquiorra suddenly came back to life, as if coming out of a trance. He looked at her, recalling the many rules she had given him. He just hoped he could remember each other them, and employ them properly. Humans could be so confusing…"Yes Onna, I remember what you said, I wait to take your hand at the door," he recited to her.

"And what about after that?" she was trying to get him to say all this, whether for her own enjoyment or to make this run smoothly. Probably a bit of both, he thought.

_"Good, now, when we get out of the limo, I will put my arm around yours and we will walk," she motioned for him to stand up, waving him forward. He stood from his seat on the sofa and walked to her side. _

_"Are you really going to make me practice this?" he asked stubbornly. It's not that he didn't want to be close to her, quite the contrary actually. Yet, a tiny part of his wanted to make her beg for it. Oh, the sadist in him. _

_"Yes I am, now move your arm into a right angle across your stomach," she ordered him. She wasn't frustrated with him, yet. The limo would be there soon though, and she wanted him to at least go into with an idea of what he was doing. After all, he was about to enter the snake pit…_

_"Yes ma'am," he said back with a hint of a mocking tone, staring at her from the corner of his eyes. She caught it, and smacked her hand flat against his stomach. He gasped, quickly guarding himself with his arms. He (almost playfully) ran away to the other side of the room. Orihime laughed at his reaction. _

_"That's what you get, now get back over here," she said with a complete smile on her face. Yes, she was enjoying this, and he could tell. _

_"Violence is not the answer, my dear," he muttered, raising one eyebrow at her. Ulquiorra came back over and held his arm in position. He stood up straight, waiting for her next instructions. As much as he seemed to be a know-it-all, he in fact was clueless about this topic of human society. There was very little he knew about the subject actually. She wrapped her arm around his and willed them both forward. Orihime led him around the living area until she was satisfied that he understood._

_"Do my actions please you, ma'am?" he asked in the same tone, evoking the same playful smile on her face. Before she had a chance to hit him again, he moved away, a tiny, yet noticeable, smirk crawled onto his lips. If only someone had seen it… It made him think, _if a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound? _Not if no one hears it…_

_"You owe me for all of this," he said to her, kidding but at the same time, was completely serious. Ulquiorra wondered if she had once again picked up on him and his meaning. She was quite good at telling the true meaning behind his words, it was hard to get those types of things by her. _

"Do not worry yourself with me, I understand what is required of me and am ready to perform accordingly," he replied back. She couldn't help but suppress a small laugh at his overly-exaggerated response. It was definitely something only HE would say. Orihime liked that about him.

They both looked over to the door, which the driver on the other side was opening for them. This was it, it was time to show Orihime that he could be a human for one night. And not only that, he could do it with flying colors. With a sigh, he quickly ran over everything he was expected to do. _This shouldn't be too difficult,_ he thought. He got out of the car, holding his tie in place, which she had also warned him about. Even though he has a clip for the tie, he didn't trust it.

He stood just under six feet tall, dressed very nicely in a black tux. The jacket fit his body perfectly, emphasizing his thinner, yet muscular, frame. Under his jacket he wore a white button-up dress shirt, and finished off with a black tie held to his shirt by a silver clip. His normally unruly hair was combed, getting it to at least stay in one uniform position. The black dress pants reached down to the floor, meeting his black, matching dress shoes. Adorning his wrist was a large silver watch. On his right ring finger, he wore a small silver band ring with engraved designs in it. On the top side of it, it read: Aquí está el Corazón, Here is the Heart. It had been a gift from Orihime. She had said she went out and bought it as soon as she returned from Hueco Mundo, hoping to give it to him if he ever returned. He wore it everywhere, keeping a little part of her with him at all times. It helped him feel more at home in this strange world.

He took the second or two that it took Orihime to get out to gaze and observe the people around him. Ahead there was another black limo with another couple doing as he was. Ever since he had come back to the human world, he had relied heavily on his observations of other people around him to figure what was socially acceptable and what wasn't.

Ulquiorra stood by the door and extended his hand for her. Orihime looked up at him, her eyes meeting his as her hand gently laid in his palm. Her smile was praise enough for him. His grasp was gentle on her hand, and it fit perfectly with hers. Ulquiorra couldn't help the feeling of a small smile that managed to grace his lips.

He was quite skilled at this 'gentlemen' stuff, he thought at least. By the looks of the smile Orihime was giving him, she thought so too.

Gracefully, he took her hand in his, and bent down to kiss the top of her hand. Her skin was so soft against his lips, and the thought went through his mind to not let go. Although unwillingly, he did straighten back up, just in time to see the Onna's cheeks turn a slight pink color and the smile only grow larger. "I saw that from a film I was watching while you were not home," he explained, trying (with no such luck) to reign back in the smile that had plastered itself on his face. It made him so warm inside to see her smile, and to know he had made her blush only added to the excitement.

Orihime couldn't believe he was doing this for her. Never in all her days would she EVER have bet money that he would have agreed to any of this, let alone pull some moves she had not shown him. He was such a charmer.

The former Espada waited for the young woman to take his arm, holding it in place. "Is this your first time ever doing this other than before at the apartment?" she asked, entwining her arm in his.

Ulquiorra turned his head to face her, saying, "yes, this was not something we did in Hueco Mundo."

Nothing in Hueco Mundo was ever dignified such as this. As long as there were beings such as Grimmjow and Nnoitra, nothing could even have been possible such as this. The closest thing to this in the former land had been meetings, and more than half the time those ended in chaos.

He took the first step forward, and with that one step, they were on their way up the carpet. Orihime looked absolutely beautiful in her long, strapless white dress. The dress was covered by white lace which held silver gem stones on it. It hugged her curves, emphasizing the beauty of her body. Her sun-kissed skin tone and shimmering silver eyes only added to the beauty she held. She reached up to his shoulders in height, with the added inches of her white heels as well. Her fiery red hair was pulled back into an elegant bun, leaving a couple loose strands that had managed to break free of their trap. Dangly, thin silver earrings hung from her ears, shining when the light hit them. On her right ring finger, she also wore the same matching ring she had given to Ulquiorra.

Her hips swayed easily as she walked beside him, and it was becoming harder and harder of a task to keep his eyes from wandering over her form. Sadly, such a thing was not socially accepted by human culture. Although, it was probably a good thing, otherwise every other male in the area would have been doing the same. _Trash…_

They approached the doors, taking each stride with purpose.

The whole walk he had been observing the humans around him to make sure he was performing well, or even out-performing anyone.

There were two doormen waiting at the glass French-doors with long, elegant silver handles that led into the building. She looked up at him, as if to silently remind him that another step was quickly approaching. Within seconds they were up the small set of stairs and on the porch of the walkway. The doors both opened for them as they went through. "Good evening, sir," one of them said to him as the passed through.

Ulquiorra acknowledged him, responding, "good evening to you as well."

Challenge 2, complete. A surge of pride blasted through him for his short moment of glory.

As they walked inside, both Ulquiorra and the Onna couldn't help but let their eyes wander around the massive dome that topped the building. Everything was decorated with silver, chrome, and glass. The lighting had almost an orange-ish tint to it, giving the atmosphere a very warm feeling. Low classical violin music was played in the background via speakers around the foyer area. There was sound of soft chatter coming from people around. Some were standing around talking to others, while most couples were going the same direction as they were, towards the actual restaurant. Orihime still clung to his arm as they walked down a massive set of stairs. Orihime had started talking about something that had happened to her at work the other day.

"She was trying to get a pan into the stove that obviously was NEVER going to fit," she went on. He listened to her speak, fully intent on what she was saying. It seemed to him that this woman at her workplace was trying to fit an object into another object used for cooking food that was much too large for that to be possible. It seemed cooking WAS in fact 'rocket science'…

Whatever THAT was…

They continued walking forward into a massive ballroom. "It gives the interior a very modern look," Orihime pointed out to him as they stared at the décor of the room. It matched the foyer from before, chrome, silver, and glass making the entire room. The floor was white marble and it looked so clean that one could eat off it. _I'll pass…_ he thought to himself.

The Onna's heeled sandals clicked on the floor as they passed other groups and couples of humans standing around, waiting for their other group members. The lights in this room were not as bright as the first, leaving a much more soft, romantic atmosphere. The thought of that left the former Espada's mind on a tangent, thinking about a conversation that had happened earlier that day. How he could not wait for his 'reward' if he was to do well at this gentlemen business.

_"I promise, if you do well at this dinner tonight, I'll let you choose the rest of the night," she said to him, pleading with him to do this for her. She knew he was not happy about going to this dinner. What she didn't know, was that he didn't need the incentive at all, no, he just knew how to play her to get what he wanted. It was the golden ticket that every man on the planet (if only they had known) would dive at, and he was the only winner on the list._

However, do not get the wrong thought about him, he wanted to please the Onna as much as possible. She didn't have to make him all these promises that she did, there was nothing he wouldn't do for her. He was convinced she said that to him on purpose, for her own reasons…But, he would play her game.

How so much he loved to win.

Closing his eyes to clear his thoughts, he knew to earn this he must focus on the here and the now. "Are we to wait for your nakama here?" he asked her looking down at her as they continued on slowly. They were now in the middle of the ballroom, sauntering along slowly in a searching gaze. She was looking around, scanning the crowd for them. For some reason, Ulquiorra could simply not wait to see the look on Kurosaki's face when they would join the group for dinner. Finally, Ulquiorra would get to see the look of jealousy in his eyes and know that he had won. What man wouldn't be jealous of him?

The room was not too full, in fact it was a comfortable amount really. Not too many to feel crowded, yet not too little make you feel like you were sticking out. Talking was low, almost sounding like a mumble. If things continued this way, the evening would be rather nice.

"Yeah they should be…ah! There is Tatsuki," she said excitedly, tugging at his arm in their direction. He followed her guide. As they got closer, her other friends became visible to them.

He took decisive steps forward, holding his posture steady and holding Orihime's shoulder up against his. This was a chance to show the woman's friends that he was not some monster as they believed he was. They had never really accepted him into their world, yet Orihime insisted that he was not evil, and he had a heart. Ulquiorra did in fact have a heart, albeit he was still trying to figure the damn organ out. The concept of it was insane enough, but actually having to live with one, well, he'd be lying if he said it was all bad. No, in fact he quite enjoyed being able to care about the Onna. How badly he had wanted to in Hueco Mundo, but simply was incapable of it.

"Orihime!" yelled Tatsuki as they reached the group. Orihime smiled brightly at the sound of her friend's voice. Ulquiorra let her go, and she quickly hugged her friend warmly, complimenting her on her dress. It was a black strapless dress, reaching down to her shins in length. Elegant designs in the fabric entranced anyone who dared look at the design for too long. Her heels gave her an extra couple inches in height, matching her dress in color.

The rest of her friends' faces lit up at the sight of her. It made Ulquiorra happy to see her in such a cheery state.

Ulquiorra stood right next to her, as if to warn everyone that the Onna was with him. He couldn't help but notice the looks on the other males' faces as they had been walking to their destination. Their eyes followed Orihime, glued to her chest like a predator to prey. They may had been dressed as gentlemen, but they were nothing other than a wolf in sheep's clothing.

She turned to meet Kurosaki. He greeted her warmly, giving her a compliment on how nice she looked. Ulquiorra watched his eyes protectively, anger boiling every time he looked at her.

"You look wonderful," he told her as he hugged her. Orihime hugged him back fully, her arms around his neck. He lightly kissed both her cheeks after taking her chin softly in both hands, making the Onna blush only slightly. Oh, how this angered Ulquiorra, but he said nothing. He knew these were her friends, and he would not let his opinion of them tamper with hers. The two friends then separated, and Orihime was back at his side.

"Kurosaki you remember Ulquiorra," she said, starting off the introduction. He would have to get her back for this later…

"How could I forget?" he said back, smiling playfully to her. His chocolate colored eyes met Ulquiorra's deep green ones. "Schiffer," he said, extending his hand to him.

_"Handshakes. They are the main way people greet each other. You're expected to shake anyone's hand if they give it to you," she told him as she was standing about two feet away. _

_"Here," the Onna said to him, giving him her hand to shake, "grab onto it firmly. Firm handshakes are a sign of confidence, which we all know you're chalk-full of." A teasing smile graced her lips at her handiwork. _

_"I simply know what my body's weakness are," he replied, taking her hand in his, "you and you alone."_

_"Well you sure do a good job at broadcasting it," she claimed. He didn't retort her comment; he knew it was true._

_"Now on to the shake part," she said. Both had their hands grasped by the other, just standing there a couple feet away._

_"Just firmly shake the person's hand, like this," she explained as the Onna shook his hand a bit up and down. This was a greeting? _

_"I am not sure I fully understand the point of this type of greeting," he said as she continued to shake his hand. _

_"You don't have to understand it, you just gotta know you have to do it," she told him._

_"I see," he replied. Ulquiorra may not have understood the point of this 'handshake', but it was much better than his usual bow, which was standard in Hueco Mundo. He would be caught dead bowing to a shinigami. _

_"Now make sure your arm doesn't just hang there, shake like you mean it," she added. Ugh, there were so many rules to this! _

Ulquiorra didn't hesitate in taking Ichigo's hand in a greeting. "Kurosaki," he responded. A surge of happiness and relief poured through Orihime's body at the sight of the two men she loved acting civil to each other. She had half expected at least one of them to start something with the other, but, so far things were running smoothly.

"Ulquiorra you know Rukia right?" Orihime asked him, motioning to the shorter female shinigami next to Ichigo. A smile crawled onto Rukia's face at the sight of Orihime, and at how the two boys were acting towards each other. They sort of resembled two small children who had been fighting over a toy and were punished and forced to be nice to each other by their mother. The thought made a giggle escape her.

The fourth Espada did in fact remember Rukia, although had never formally met her, in the human world or in battle. "I do," he responded, and Orihime let him go to his next challenge: greeting a woman. From what he had gathered, woman and men greeted each other differently than only men. He so hoped that that movie he watched was up to date with its lessons. "Hello my dear," he replied, holding out his hand for her to put hers in it. Softly grasping her hand, he lowered down to lightly kiss her hand in greeting. _It's just not the same…_ he thought before letting her go.

"Hello to you to, Mr. Schiffer," she formally replied, a smile adorning her face.

"Well well, it seems Espada have manners too," Kurosaki added in, earning a small chuckle from the group.

"When we please," was the Espada's response. Ugh, if he would have to tolerate Ichigo's 'espada' comments all night, it was going to prove to be a challenge not to 'one up' him from time to time. Orihime wouldn't mind, he hoped anyway.

He finished introductions with Tatsuki and Uryuu, whom had agreed to go together simply so they could have someone to walk with. They had made it perfectly clear that they were friends, and nothing more.

"Well should we go find our table?" Rukia asked the group. They all made comments of agreement. Orihime once again grabbed Ulquiorra's arm and the group began walking towards the dining area. _Snake pit, here we come…_

Cookies to ppl that can guess the movie he watched ;) And incase you ppl were wondering, its not RukiaxUlquiorra, no, please no T-T If anything its a bit IchixRukia

Wow, Ulquiorra sure picked up on this stuff pretty quick eh? He's a smart boy, it shouldnt be a problem for him. Until next time ;D

Cheers


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